The Vines of St. Helena: Corison Winery

Originally published in the St. Helena Star |

1. When was your winery founded?

“1987.”

2. Who is owner? Who is winemaker? Who is vineyard manager?

“Cathy Corison and husband William Martin. Cathy grows the grapes and makes the wine. William designed the winery and runs the business with Cathy. Their daughters, Grace and Rose, are now in the business as well.”

3. How many acres do you farm in the St. Helena American Viticultural Area (AVA)?

“25 acres.”

4. Do you farm sustainably/organically/biodynamically?

“We farm organically, with Kronos and Sunbasket, our two estate vineyards, newly CCOF-certified-organic after farming strictly organically for 28 years.”

5. Please describe your vineyards: soil; exposure; narrow spacing; type of trellising; irrigation/dry farmed, etc.

“All of our vineyards are on classic bench land (alluvial fans) with loamy soils that hold water for when the vines need it and extremely gravelly/cobbly for excellent drainage. Kronos Vineyard is one of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in the Napa Valley, celebrating its 50th birthday in 2021. Growing on St. George rootstock, we can dry-farm it most years! A stone’s throw away, on extremely gravelly soils, our Sunbasket Vineyard has been an important component of our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for over three decades. It leads with bright, juicy red fruit. An estate vineyard since 2015, we now offer a small vineyard-designated bottling.”

6. Wineries today try to differentiate the visitor experience. What’s unique about visiting your winery/tasting room?

“Our ‘tasting room’ is the barrel room in our barn, the crush pad and Kronos Vineyard. Visitors love to be in the middle of the action. We almost always have library wine on our Cabernet flight.”

7. What might surprise people to learn about you/your winery/your operation?

“We are tiny — making 3,000 cases/year in a bounteous vintage.”

8. What is special about the St. Helena AVA in your opinion? Is it misunderstood? What do you wish visitors knew about it which perhaps they don’t?

“Located in the warmest part of the valley, we can reliably get Cabernet Sauvignon ripe. Very cool nights promote snappy natural acidity, inky color and wildly complex flavors. Cabernet Sauvignon grown here is delightfully aromatic.”

9. What’s your favorite place in St. Helena to eat, drink or relax?

“We love Market and Cook for their cozy, hometown feel.”

(This is part of a series of Q&A articles highlighting winemakers and grape growers in the St. Helena Appellation.)